You can easily tell it's spring in KS when the calves run in playful glee, ranchers begin to burn their pastures and storm chaser vehicles cause traffic jams on normally vacant roads. The temperature begins to soar, bringing with it spring fever and cold fronts. The warm days begin to heat the moist air which rises in the cold upper atmosphere, cumulous clouds build generating tremendous updrafts, then as they cool fall with tremendous force back to the earth, tornado sirens blare, radios break from programming to give warnings and storm chasers hit the roads.
Since mid March I've had to wear two hats; a straw hat on days that would reach near 80 and my bald head would sweat or a ball cap with ear muffs on those days the wind howled from the north and chill factors fell below freezing. One day you talk to a rancher about the need for a summer mineral program to help reduce heat stress and the next day you're selling him feed to warm the cattle during cold blizzardy weather.
Fruit trees begin to blossom, their limbs covered in pink or white blooms only to droop and break the next week under a load of ice. Wild flowers open their buds in a variety of colors only to turn black the next morning because of a heavy frost. Farmers get antsy with soaring temperatures and begin to plant their crops only to watch the fields set vacant of emergence for two or three weeks as returning cold, cools the ground temperature below germination levels.
Dang, I sure love living in Kansas.
Dennis
